This year we threw down the gauntlet to our preferred charity Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice* and invited them to come up with some designs for this year’s Christmas card.

The Hospice seized the challenge and members of their Brush With Art group set about with their pens, pencils and paintbrushes. The results were outstanding and as we collated the competition entries we knew that selecting a winner was not going to be easy. Each entry was carefully considered and judged by our own creative team and one design was voted the overall winner…

Congratulations goes to Susan Valerie Habgood with the winning design entitled ‘Frosty Fred”, a fabulous mixed media interpretation of a festive snowman. Again, not an easy decision, but joint runner up prizes were awarded to Anne Snozwell for the creative candles and to Mo Stokes for an excellent abstract winter scene. Well done, prizes are on their way.

May I take this opportunity to thank all of the artists at the Day Hospice who entered the competition and for their excellent creative contributions. We are also very grateful for the support and help provided by Karen McEvoy & Jenny Reynolds who manage the Brush With Art group at Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. As a token of our appreciation we are making a donation that’s being put towards a selection of artist’s materials that we hope will further everyone’s enjoyment and participation in art and design.

Russell

* Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice provides Specialist Palliative Care to adult patients and their families living with life limiting illnesses in West Surrey and North East Hampshire.

We’ve just launched a new website for HRS to attract new business.

HRS operates a global electronic hotel reservation system for business and private travellers based on a database of more than 250,000 hotels in all price categories in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world.

Aimed at the UK corporate market we were required to create the appropriate messages and content to convey the key business benefits of using HRS for hotel bookings and reservations.

Our recent involvement with HASTE helped them crystallise their objectives and define their true business proposition.

Through consultation and strategic know-how we developed the essence of their brand, created a powerful brand identity and built more effective marketing collateral.

As testament to the power of appropriate design, HASTE immediately identified a significant uplift in customer activity. Enhanced customer confidence and loyalty has resulted in a new, 5-year contract being drawn for subsidiary services worth an estimated £1.6m per annum.

However, the most exciting outcome is that HASTE have been able to open new sales channels…

Loss adjusters and insurance companies depend upon investigation and reporting to substantiate insurance claims. HASTE has the knowledge and experience to provide these services and with their new marketing materials they have found it easier to start a dialogue with many ‘blue chip’ companies within this sector.

Currently HASTE are negotiating contracts with two of the UK’s leading insurance companies that should see turnover increase by 12%.

As you would imagine, the management are more than happy with the results!

See the HASTE creativity in our case study

 HASTE is a privately owned business with over 15 years experience in commercial and domestic electrical services and appliance repairs industry. They specialise in providing emergency support services to major utility providers (E.ON Central Networks, EDF, Scottish & Southern Energy, etc.) and operate a nationwide support network.

However, their image and persona had been that of a generic electrical contractor and was not appropriate to realise the full potential of the business and its future growth.

Typically we worked very closely with HASTE to identify a true proposition and brand essence for their business. It’s essential that the strategic thinking be considered before embarking on the creative work, especially in the current trading conditions.

We are all very pleased with the result - a powerful new image that communicates the appropriate messages and provides the foundation for future success.

Russell (VA) with Phil Price (HASTE) enjoying the moment with the new sales collateral.